Schools
State Education Department Issues School Transfer Guidelines
The Clayton School District is at the center of the school transfer debate.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) weighed in Wednesday on the Breitenfeld v. School District of Clayton, which allows for students in Missouri to transfer from an unaccredited school district to an accredited one.
According to a press release from DESE, the decision issued June 11 reversed a lower court ruling and found that the state law allowing students to transfer from unaccredited school districts does not violate the Hancock Amendment.
The statute provides, in part, that an unaccredited school district shall pay the tuition for students to attend a school in another accredited district of the same or an adjoining county, according to DESE.
The case, originally known as Turner vs. Clayton was consolidated under the umbrella of the Gina Breitenfeld case. Breitenfeld, a St. Louis Public Schools parent who has children enrolled in Clayton schools, was the remaining plaintiff in the case.
DESE's requirements include:
- School districts should adopt and publish a policy for class size and student-teacher ratios that range between the desirable and minimum MSIP Resource Standards for all grade levels.
- In order to seek enrollment in an accredited public school other than the district of residence, the student must be a resident of the unaccredited district.
- The parent or guardian should send notification to the school district of residence and the receiving district of his/her intent to enroll his/her child in a school district other than the school district of residence. For the 2013-2014 school year, parents should notify the districts by Aug. 1. In future years, parents should notify districts by Feb. 1.
Chris Tennill, Clayton School District spokesperson, told St. Louis Public Radio that the Clayton District is reviewing the guidelines.
"In the interim, we are taking names and contact information from any parents that are calling about enrollment," Tennill told St. Louis Public Radio. "We (are working) to develop applications and process and that sort of thing, much like every school district in St. Louis County is doing right now."
To read the full St. Louis Public Radio report, click here.
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